...the Samurai by Taira Shigesuke and The Methods of the Ssu-Ma (author unknown) both focus a lot on a sort of “code” for warriors during warfare. My question is what is the best way to raise troops? These two readings explain different answers to my question, but to answer it myself I would say the best way to raise troops would be to not focus solely on things such as strength or marksmanship, but to focus also on the mindset of a troop and how to pull through in times of difficulty and how to respect warfare and their unit and how to face fear and overcome obstacles. Taira Shigesuke writes about how, first and foremost, a warrior should consider it his first concern to keep death in mind at all times. But you don’t just have a duty to the military; you have to fulfill your loyalty to your family as well. Unlike the warrior ways described in the Ssu-Ma, Samurai warriors focused day and night on their duties as a warrior, whether they were a farmer, or merchant, etc. They always carried a sword with them as to always be prepared and keep death in mind at all times. Education was not important early on, and even 12 and 13 year olds were learning martial arts instead of focusing on becoming literate. Their sole focus was the way of a warrior. Now, however, those born in the present era focus on literature and reading and writing from the time they are seven or eight in times of peace. A big difference between the Ssu-Ma and the code of the Samurai is how much the Samurai focus...
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...class of professional warriors arose, who swore oaths of loyalty to noble lords and fought to the death to defend them in battle.” Before this, warlords would fight each other to claim land and had threatened to destroy your way of life. Knights and Samurai were the saviors of the nobles and people. Some may argue that Knights and Samurai were extremely different, although they are very much alike. The Samurai and Knights had similar training methods and had similar codes of honor. For Samurai and Knights, the training was very similar. First off, they both started their training at a young age. From the source of the PBS series tilted, “Warrior Challenge” it states that, “ [A] prospective knight’s training [began at the age of four or five] “ (Doc. C) and from the PBS series titled, “Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire” states that, “The rigorous training (of samurai)...began in childhood…” (Doc. C) These two pieces of evidence show that both the knights and samurai had started their training at a young age. This was probably because they could soak in all of the skills while they were young. Also, the warriors of Europe and Japan practiced with a...
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...Drew LeBlanc Phy/ 105 Comparison Essay March 17, 2013 The Samurai are one of the most ancient warriors known to any civilization. They lived by a code of ethics and honor that many people can learn from at any day in age. Samurai lived and trained by a code of ethics known as Bushido “samurai warrior”, and would die for there beliefs. The biggest thought of the Samurai is education through training. The Samurai came about because they were developed to assist the government on there plans of action. Many different people were establishing armies around Japan to try and overthrow the government that they did not believe in. The Samurai were used in the beginning to keep the laws of the government enforced, and taking out all those who opposed the law of the land. After a few years the Samurai took over as the government making their 900 year stake as the warrior class. The Samurai were seen as almost nobility in the eyes of many due to there mysterious ways, and because of the such high regard people viewed them as. One of the most notable Samurai warriors was Miyamoto Musashi. Miyamoto Musashi was known as one of the best swordsmen who ever lived. He most notable victory was when he took down an opposing school by himself when he was only thirteen. He defeated his opponent, who had a sword, with a wooden training sword that he was very proficient with. Towards the end of Musashi's life he wrote a book called The book of five rings which taught many different ways...
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...April 20, 2010 Professor Ravina Legends of the Samurai The Faces of Bushido Bushido, however it is defined, has had a profound impact on Japanese society. Translated, Bushido means “Way of the Warrior” and so it can be defined as a type of code of conduct for samurai. Besides being simply a code applied to Japanese samurai alone, Bushido has also been said to be an integral element in the fabric of Japanese culture and society. Although there is no formalized official written document specifically stating what Bushido is, it remains an entity that has become the quintessential element of Japanese society. Of all the interpretations on what Bushido is, two of the most popular are the Hagakure by Yamamoto Tsunetomo and Bushido, the Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe. However, both of these writings are influenced by the time period in which they were written, and experiences of their respective authors. By evaluating certain influences on the interpretations of Bushido and the contradictions in them one is able to see how each is using their own version of Bushido to justify the author’s position or achieve a certain end. Bushido as a term itself was not used much later on, but the code itself, although unspoken, can be seen Japanese literature throughout the ages. Starting with the Shoku Nihongi the term “bushi” is used as well as the term “Saburau”, which was applied to those who accompanied nobility. One of the earliest forms of a type of written code of conduct that has Bushido...
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...The Last Samurai – Traditional and Modern Economies A traditional economy is an economic system that relies on a strong social network and is based on primitive methods and tools, whereas a modern economy relies on production, exchange, distribution, and consumption of goods. In the film, The Last Samurai, western Japan fights against the rebelling Samurai who do not wish to modernize and rid of their traditions. The vast differences between a traditional and modern economy are shown throughout the film as both civilizations express different means of production, military capabilities and cultural values. The reign of Emperor Meiji was one of the most revolutionary eras in Japanese history as Japan underwent dramatic changes in its government, economy, and culture. The nation opened its doors to the west and embraced a new world of cultural influences. Japan was transformed into an agrarian society with an industrialized economy and a strict military regime. Revolutionized Japan created modern weaponry such as guns and automatic weapons that were made in industrial factories. Instead of carrying goods using horses, Japan modernized using wagons and trains which made transportation of goods more rapid and efficient. In the film, we can see the paved streets and buildings of western Japan, the use of modern clothing, and advanced military technology. Conversely, the Samurai represent a traditional economy by their use of weapons, transportation, and cultural...
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...HARAKIRI Hanshiro Tsugumo the main character, arrives at the house of Lyi to request a place to kill himself or to commit “seppuku” a politely way to call Harakiri. In that time many samurais ended without work and in poverty. The honorable way under the samurai code of ending that was to commit Harakiri. He was informed that the leader will not tolerate bluffers, and told him about the story of a young samurai, Motome Chijiiwa. Motome was a young samurai teacher, he was married to Hanshiro’s daughter, Miho and had a son called Kingo. Miho and Kingo got sick; this made Motome go to the house of Lyi hoping to receive a few coins to pay a doctor. Desperate for a job or at least some money, many unemployed warriors attempt the "suicide bluff". This was that they went to a wealthy clan requesting permission to perform Harakiri and sometimes the leaders will offer money or a job to avoid a bloody mess. But Motome didn’t have luck doing this and he was forced to kill himself by three samurais, Omodaka Hikoru, Hayato Yazaki and Umenosuke Kawabe. Motome only have a bamboo blade because he sold the real one to help Miho, and was demanded to cut his belly with this, this was an agonizing way of die and to end his suffering he was decapitated. In the movie was said that a samurai should die with a true blade because a blade was a warrior’s soul. Hanshiro at first didn’t say that he knows Motome, but after being accused of doing suicide bluff, he started telling the story of how he knew...
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...Bushido: Code of the Samurai By Allen Meeks Samurai live by a code ethics called Bushido. Bushido in Japanese means the way of the warrior. It was loosely based on chivalry. They live by honor and courage. They live and die for their masters. They go into battle fearless. They care about their appearances and usually are artists or poets. They master the martial arts, are frugal, and always have honor in death. Honor and death is what this report is about. Seppuku is a ritual in which a samurai will perform suicide as a way for an honorable death. It usually was performed when a samurai didn’t want to be killed by an enemy or if he has disgraced himself. It was also used if he dishonored his master. A samurai will take a short blade, or tanto, and stab it into his belly and slice left to right disemboweling himself. Meanwhile, a second assistant usually a family member or friend would slice the neck leaving the head hanging by a little piece of skin. It was thought as a bad omen to completely separate the head from the body. The very first act of seppuku recorded was done in 1180 by a Minamoto Yorimasa during the Battle of Uji. But it was not just a ritual performed by samurai. It was also a form of capital punishment as well. This way was only for the common person. They did not have the benefit of having their head cut off. They had to go through the agonizing torture of entrails on the ground and they bleeding to death. Seppuku would be punishment for anything...
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...Samurai and the “Oneness” of Kendo Marie Carpenter Grand Canyon University: ENG 105 4/28/2013 Samurai and the “Oneness” of Kendo The Japanese Samurai warriors came in to power after the Taika reforms of 646 A.D (Szczepanski,2013). The Samurai were created to protect the European lords with their riches. The Samurai were known to practice Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism is the practice of calming the mind and accepting all things good or bad in life by using zen meditation (Bairan, 2006). Zen meditation aided the Samurai to focus completely on the present, eliminate all thoughts of life and death, and to be one with the sword (Kendo). Samurais live very peaceful lives with strict discipline of learning to be one with their sword (Kendo). They practice amongst each other every day to ensure that they are still one with their sword, along with meditating daily to ensure calmness. Samurai warriors are excellent marksman who use the “no mind” theory during battle. The “no mind” theory comes from zen meditation. The warriors meditate on a daily basis to help clear there minds and not focus on anything, but the breath. The breath is the essential part of meditation as when your mind starts to drift and focus on something else, you can calmly bring your mind back to the present and focus on the breath. The Samurai have been very successful in their battles due to not thinking about anything except the task at hand. The ultimate goal of the Samurai is to take...
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...BOOK ONE A Samurai must become one who is permanently dead. Basically this is saying being a warrior means that if one is faced with the option of life or death the person quickly chooses death.They trust in Bushido that their death is decided by fate and only when the time comes they will be faced with death. Borrow from the wisdom of the past. There will be no excuses that can be taken seriously if you borrow from the wisdom of our elders and of the past, because no matter what circumstances you fall into there has been a person faced with your dilemma and you can learn from the mistakes or decisions. Commit than never waiver. If your mind is set to do something or to accomplish a task and a plan is thought out do not hesitate to do what you believe is right and your instincts will take over as a warrior and the goal will be accomplished. BOOK TWO Never forget the fundamentals. Those who work hard at the practice out of love and passion for what they do tend to get puffed up with pride failing to remember the fundamentals and must stop all extraneous thoughts. There is no better way than to die in battle. As a warrior you must commit yourself to being faced with wars and countless battles you must not wither in the sight of death but race towards it as you are running towards heaven and fight like you are in the presence of God. Right now is that crucial moment and that crucial moment is now. one must treat the present as if this...
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...More than a thousand years ago, in 1000 to 1600 CE, two armies of warriors, Samurai and Knights, fought to protect their separate leaders. The Samurai and The Knights both had duties they were required to do that were very alike such as: following social systems that brought order in their societies, participating in time-consuming training, and adhere to a certain Code of Honor that shared both similar rules and punishments. Starting with Social Order in Feudal Japan and Feudal Europe, both countries had quite comparable Social Pyramids. In Japan the pyramid went along the lines of : “Merchants, Artisans, Warriors, Daimyos or Feudal Lords, Shogun, and lastly the Emperor.” (Document A) In Europe the Social Pyramid was very similar going in the order as follows: “Peasant Serfs, Artisans, Knights, Lords, King, and lastly the Pope” (Document A), which was the main ruler...
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...looked upon as the “ Golden Age of Peace and Prosperity”, before the arrival of Western imperialism changed Japan’s place in the world forever. For centuries before and after the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Emperor reigned powerless in Kyoto, while military men really ran the country. Edo Castle today [ 1 ] Edo Castle today [ 1 ] Edo Castle today, Chiyoda, Tokyo , Japan Edo Castle today, Chiyoda, Tokyo , Japan Edo Castle c. 1638 What was the structure of the “Four class system” introduced in the Tokugawa Period? The Tokugawa Shogunate intentionally created a social order called “The Four Divisions of Society” that brought piece and order as well as stabilised the country after many civil wars. It was composed of: * Samurai * Farming Peasants * Artisans * Merchants * There were some subdivisions as illustrated below: Social Hierachy Tokugawa Period Social Hierachy Tokugawa Period Despite...
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...Samurai and Knights: Were The Similarities Greater Than The Differences? Samurai and knights were warriors who fought for their lords. The important idea is that from roughly 1000 to 1600 AD in Japan and Europe, samurai horsemen and knight horsemen were the muscle and soul of the warrior class. After studying the documents, I feel that the similarities were not greater than the differences. Even though they lives so far apart the samurai and knights did share some similarities. For instance, they both had a great love and devotion to poetry. Samurai learned/studied poetry in school, and some knights made their living reciting poetry to an audience (Document C). Another example is that samurai and knights both fought on horseback. In the...
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... feudal Japan had an elaborate four tier class system. Unlike European feudal society, in which the peasants (or serfs) were at the bottom, the Japanese feudal class structure placed merchants on the lowest rung. Confucian ideals emphasized the importance of productive members of society, so farmers and fishermen had higher status than shop-keepers in Japan. At the top of the heap was the samurai class. The Samurai Class: Feudal Japanese society was dominated by the samurai warrior class. Although they made up only about 10% of the population, samurai and their daimyo lords wielded enormous power. When a samurai passed, members of the lower classes were required to bow and show respect. If a farmer or artisan refused to bow, the samurai was legally entitled to chop off the recalcitrant person's head. Samurai answered only to the daimyo for whom they worked. The daimyo, in turn, answered only to the shogun. There were about 260 daimyo by the end of the feudal era. Each daimyo controlled a broad area of land, and had an army of samurai. The Farmers / Peasants: Just below the samurai on the social ladder were the farmers or peasants. According to Confucian ideals, farmers were superior to artisans and merchants because they produced the food that all the other classes depended upon. Although technically they were considered an honored class, the farmers lived under a crushing tax burden for much of the feudal era. During the reign of the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu...
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...In the Western world, the Japanese are well known for their intrepid knight-like warriors, the Samurai. During Japan’s feudal warring states period, Samurai first appeared as honorable and talented solders who faithfully served their lord. Since then, they have left a lasting legacy and impact all across the globe. Samurai have become the subjects of many movies, television series, and writings, becoming a massive culture icon. They’re skill with a sword is legendary and their code of Bushido, or the way, epitomizes the gentleman warrior. The impact of the samurai is so great that even in modern times, their practices are still carried out. One of the most notable instances of this is the suicide of Nogi Maresuke, a distinguished Japanese...
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...cowboy, and a samurai were not just fighters, but also warriors that followed an unwritten code of conduct. A samurai a japanese warrior that is described in many tales their code of chivalry. The origin of the “The Tales of the Heike” was believed to be written down by priests as a collection of stories. The text is a reflection of the conflict between two clans the Genji and the Heike. The Heike clan holds all the power at the beginning but by the final blow the Genji clan defeats the Heike clan. The story not only show the struggle between the two clans, but also represents the code of Bushido that samurai’s followed in life. The text “The Tales of the Heike” gives examples of Samurai that abides to “The Bushido Code: The Eight Virtues of the Samurai.” Four of those virtues practiced in the text are rectitude, benevolence, loyalty, courage. Rectitude deciding one’s way of conduct without wavering like choosing to fight or dying. A...
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